The treatment of a horse's hoof or horseshoe can be a tedious and difficult task if the horse's lower limb is not properly supported. This is due to the massive weight of the horse compared to the human that is treating the horse, typically a farrier. Also, the remaining three limbs of the horse must endure an increased load if the limb that the farrier is working on does not receive proper support. Although the horse may be physically capable of withstanding the increased load, the resulting stresses are certainly undesirable. In order to provide the support the lower limb of the hoof or horseshoe that is being treated, the farrier oftentimes uses a hoof support apparatus that comprises two interchangeable pieces. These interchangeable pieces include a hoof stand and a cradle support. Each the hoof stand and the cradle support can fit into the hoof support apparatus, in which each is used for a particular situation. Essentially the hoof stand supports is a soft flat or round ball that supports the bottom of the hoof, so that the top of the hoof can be worked on. The cradle support resembles a U-shaped saddle with an elastic sling across the two apices. The sling supports the fetlock of the horse so that the underside of the hoof becomes exposed. Since the height at which hoof is treated differs from horse to horse, the hoof support apparatus is designed to extend and vary its length. This allows each of the interchangeable pieces to raised or lowered to the appropriate height.
The problem with the current design of this hoof support apparatus is that the farrier must mechanically dislodge the current piece and then replace it with another piece if one of the interchangeable pieces needs to be switched. It does not matter whether the farrier is switching from the hoof support to the cradle support or the cradle support to the hoof support. The farrier must apply considerable time and effort to switch the two pieces.
The present invention solves the problems associated with the current design of the hoof support apparatus a farrier utilizes in order to treat a horse's hoof or horseshoe by configuring both of the interchangeable pieces into a single universal piece. This single universal piece does not require any form of replacement. The present invention allows a farrier to conveniently switch between the hoof support and the cradle support.